Applications & Applying to TRU Law
If you are not considering applying to TRU, skip down to the “Statement of Interest” heading!
To be considered for admission, TRU must receive: your application, payment for the application fee, additional statement (if applying under a special category), official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions, statement of interest, two reference letters, and your CV.
Admission Categories - Explained
TRU has three different types of admission categories: Indigenous Canadian Applicant, Special Consideration Applicant, and Regular Applicant.
Indigenous Canadian Applicant: If you self-identify as indigenous, you have the option to apply to this category. TRU acknowledges that in Canada, there is a deficiency in Indigenous peoples’ access to education. In addition, academic and LSAT performance may not be the only way or the best way to evaluate a candidate’s ability to succeed. There can be consideration and attention paid to Indigenous Canadian applicants’ background in assessing their future academic success. Indigenous Canadian applicants should discuss their connections to Indigenous communities, employment history, and how their personal history has affected their academic performance in their statement of interest and/or in the additional statement portion of their application.
Special Consideration Applicant: This category is for applicants who believe their position should be brought to the Admissions Committee’s attention while reviewing their application. These applicants would discuss how their circumstances adversely affected their academic performance. TRU lists on their website that these circumstances can include disability or special needs, financial disadvantage, age, membership in a historically disadvantaged group, residency in a small and/or remote community, or injuries and illness.
TRU is really looking for you to justify yourself. If you had mediocre grades for a semester, why? Explain your situation. Did you have an ill family member you had to take care of? Were you holding down a full-time job because you were financially disadvantaged compared to your peers?
If you decide to apply as a Special Consideration Applicant and the Admissions Committee decides that you were not disadvantaged enough to warrant ‘extra points’ towards your application, you will be assessed on a Regular Applicant standard.
Regular Applicant: This category is for those who have completed at least 3 years (minimum 90 credits) towards their undergraduate degree and do not fit under the Indigenous Canadian or Special Consideration Applicant.
Statement of Interest
In your statement of interest, you want to discuss a couple of things. First…how have your previous (life and academic) experiences equipped you for law school? Why do you want to go to law school? Why do you want to go to TRU Law specifically? What makes you stand out compared to your peers? Why should TRU Law admit YOU?
Your statement of interest is similar to what a cover letter for a job application would be. The purpose of this article is not to talk specifically about statements, but the following articles are!
Reference Letters
References are such an important part of an application. Your reference letter should enlighten the reader why you will succeed in law school and in the legal profession. Who your references are is less important than their relationship to you. If your neighbour happens to be a Supreme Court judge, that is really cool…but if all they know you as is their neighbour, then their words are not as powerful. Compare that to a professor you have had classes with since your first year of university; they may not have a fancy legal title beside their name, but they can provide examples and experiences of what assured them that you will succeed.
CV/Resumé
The law school version of my CV looks very different from what I would use to apply for a job. I wrote a short paragraph for each of my jobs and highlighted certain tasks that I thought were relevant to law school and the legal profession. My CV sort of told a story about me. You want to direct your experiences to skills that law students and lawyers possess, like good time-management, the willingness to persevere, attention to detail, etc.
Do you have experience working at a coffee shop, restaurant, or bar? That probably would have enhanced your time-management and customer service skills. Have you been a nanny? That would require you to be accountable and compassionate. Did you work at the writing centre in your university? That job would foster great attention to detail. Did you work in construction? You must be a hard worker then!
Why I Picked TRU in Kamloops
TRU Law is known for having an extremely friendly and collegial faculty. Being such a new school also creates a lot of opportunity for leadership roles and student initiative. TRU Law also strives to create a diverse studentry; class discussions are much more valuable when the class is able to discuss perspectives from different ethnic backgrounds, ages, professional backgrounds, as well as academic accomplishments. TRU, generally, is a small university; however, its modest size cultivates a unique culture.
Kamloops alone is a great city: there are endless hiking and biking trails, the cost of housing is relatively low, and Sun Peaks, Kelowna, and Vancouver are relatively close by if I need a weekend getaway or a change of scenery!
